Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 14

Currently Crushing On.

Hello weekend!

This week on the blog, I shared these chili lime salmon bites with mango slaw. I also shared this chopped wedge salad and my 4th of July recipe guide! There’s a new summer fridays post. And if you haven’t subscribed to my substack, you can do so here!

I shared all my outdoor entertaining favorites! And! There’s a list of my favorite summer beauty and kids’ summer faves!

There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life.

You can find all my favorites in my amazon store front and LTK shop!

Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club!

xo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

The perfect crunchwrap supreme!

Dill pickle pretzels! Yes please.

Craving this angel food cake.

Tuscan tortellini salad looks amazing.

Whoa: dubai chocolate brownies!

Firecracker ice pops at home.

The best watermelon slushies. Love.

Pineapple whip! Dying over this.

I want to try aperol spritz jello shots.

Philly cheesesteaks look so so good.

The most incredible cajun seafood boil. Making it!

Chewy lemon poppyseed cookies. The best.

Beautiful berries and cream cake.

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Summer Fridays, Vol 5.

Hello Friday! Here’s what the weekend looks like!

EATING

My strawberry avocado salsa. And this cucumber melon salad! Also the best ever baked beans!! They can’t be beat. And my whole entire 4th of july recipe guide.

DRINKING

A spicy grapefruit tequila soda. So refreshing.

BAKING

My triple berry trifle with raspberry sauce. Oh and this triple berry coffee cake!

MAKING

My dill pickle chicken salad. Its such a great make-ahead lunch.

SNACKING

On chimichurri and pistachio grilled feta. Pass the crackers!

GRILLING

My grilled lemon shrimp with pesto couscous. SO delish.

CRAVING

A pimento cheese BLT. It’s at the top of the list!

LISTENING

To Ina, Nancy and Diane hosting a dinner party. Just do it!

READING

Sounds Like Love. And loving it! Here’s my summer reading list.

WEARING

This pleated maxi dress. I also love this straw circle tote and the starfish clutch!

SHOPPING

This awesome little jewelry tray holder that folds up – great for vacation! This k18 volume spray is also in my cart. And yes, of course I bought the stupid umbrella for my phone. How did you know?!

LOVING

This rhone casual sleeveless dress. Has been a lifesaver in the crazy heat this week. I also really love the rhone half zip!

SHARING

All of my kids’ favorite neon swim gear. It’s a lifesaver in the pool and at the beach! Also, all my 4th of July goodies. Amazon 4th of July too!

CELEBRATING

Two months of Easy Everyday being out in the world!! If you haven’t grabbed your copy, you can get it here. And join our bookclub where we cook through the book!

The post Summer Fridays, Vol 5. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Your 4th of July Recipe Guide!

Sharing my 4th of July recipe guide, with 60+ delicious recipes to make for the most fun summer holiday! Snacks, apps, stuff to grill, burgers, salads, desserts, drinks and more. You can find everything you need right here!

The 4th is going to be extraordinarily delicious!

We’ve got salads and dips and tons of red, white and blue. Of course burgers and hot dogs with pasta salad sides and corn. All the best of the best! Cocktails and mocktails and everything you need to make this weekend off-the-charts incredible.

I love to do a classic BBQ menu with lots of red white and blue desserts and apps. Berries are so fabulous right now that it makes it easy! Lots of my favorite summer recipes are on this list and you can’t go wrong with any of them.

What are your plans for the 4th this year? Let me know what you’re making below.

4th of July Recipe Guide – 60+ Recipes for the 4th of July

10 minutes best grilled bruschetta 

Chimichurri grilled feta

We adore this peach burrata crostini. It’s so good. (more…)

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Chopped Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.

I love a chopped wedge salad! All the classic flavors of a wedge: iceberg, tomatoes, crispy bacon and chives with a wonderful blue cheese vinaigrette. Super delicious and so easy to make!

Summer salad time!

This chopped wedge salad has all the flavors of a traditional wedge salad, all chopped up and tossed in an incredible blue cheese dressing. It’s so crunchy and crisp. 

Chopped salads are the salads that made me like salads. It’s the truth! There is just something about being about to get a bite of EVERYTHING on that one fork. It’s so satisfying. Chopped salads usually have a ton of texture and this is no different. 

At the same time, it’s super simple. Iceberg, tomatoes, bacon, blue cheese. That’s really it! Sure, we have a dressing and some fresh herbs, but those are the big ingredients. The main ones.

Now, I know that the classic wedge salad had creamy blue cheese dressing. 

BUT. I don’t love creamy dressing to begin with. And in the summer, it just seems way too… heavy and hot. 

It’s no secret that I need some tangy, briney vinegar in my life. It’s my absolute favorite flavor combo and homemade salad dressings are my life.

So! I made my blue cheese vinaigrette for this instead. It is PERFECT. Oh my word.

Truly truly perfect. 

First of all, the dressing has blue cheese crumbles IN it, so as it gets shaked and mixed up, it does take on a slightly creamy texture. Almost like emulsified. Second, it has fresh herbs, which are so nice and refreshing in the summer.

The vinaigrette keeps the salad feeling a little lighter. It also keeps the bacon crisp and the iceberg crisp as well! It’s not drenched in a creamy dressing which gives it a little bit of staying power. Plus – the flavor. Ohhhh the flavor. 

I am a nut and could probably drink this dressing. At least take a spoonful of it!  (more…)

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Tuesday Things.

1. It’s almost tomato toast time. Think sourdough, very slight smear of mayo, cheddar slice, tomato slice, flaked salt. Ah. I can taste it.

2. Double blueberry pancakes. I must make these for my kids!

3. I really want to be fun and get an outdoor projector to watch movies. But… I hate bugs. I am an indoor cat.

4. The ultimate productivity hack is saying no. YEP.

5. TV things!! The Waterfront! I mean, I don’t know if I am obsessed yet, but anyone who created Dawson’s Creek… I’m there. Should I watch Love Island? I never have.

6. Car tiramisu. I cannot.

7. Pretty sure my addiction to my kindle is out of control. Can you read too much?!

8. Another thing we’re all addicted to in this house: Trader Joe’s patio potato chips. WHY are they so good?! I usually don’t even care about chips.

9. 3 habits of people who get things done!

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Chili Lime Salmon Bites with Mango Slaw.

These are the best chili lime salmon bites! Smoky, savory, buttery salmon chunks served over crispy and refreshing mango salsa – it’s the perfect summer dinner or a hot day!

Who needs dinner for a hot day?! 

These chili lime salmon bites are tender and buttery, served over crisp mango slaw that is super flavorful and easy to make. It’s my signature salmon with my signature slaw, made into a new special meal that we are loving lately. 

It’s the time of year where dinners MUST be cooling and refreshing and perfect for the hot weather… even if it’s a warm meal. This is the perfect combo of the two. It’s light and refreshing while being incredibly satisfying.

Plus, it tastes amazing! 

I made this seared salmon in a skillet almost every single week. I talk about it every time I make it: how we all love it so much, how it only takes minutes to make. Sometimes I sear whole filets and other times I cut it into chunks. It’s amazing how just that little change makes it seem like a whole new meal.

How exciting!! 

But really, chopping the salmon before searing creates the perfect buttery bites with a crisp exterior.

For the chili lime flavor, I use tajin. It is probably my favorite seasoning mixture – I can never get it enough. Right now, I adore it sprinkled on watermelon with some fresh lime juice. 

The tajin combo is so tangy, citrusy, smoky and just has a little bit of a bite. Not much – I don’t love spicy flavors. So if this isn’t too spicy for me, you know it’s perfect. 

My favorite thing about using the tajin is that it is just a one step seasoning! It takes the place of salt, pepper, everything. Trader Joe’s also makes a chili lime seasoning that is really good.

Once the salmon is seasoned, I simply sear it in a skillet with some avocado oil! I also like to add my classic water + honey mixture to the pan to create a bit of a sticky sauce. It’s so simple and such a game changer. 

The best part though? The mango slaw. It’s so crunchy and crisp. Amazing for summer, so easy to make and doesn’t require any heat. It’s what I like to call a “slaw salad” in which I use the slaw as the base of a salad. Groundbreaking, I know. It really makes a difference though! (more…)

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A Week In The Life, Vol 25.

We had the best week to kick off the official start of summer.

Your eyes may need a warning: lots of neon to come.

We continued out beach week from last week’s post…

And the awful weather continued too. So cold, windy, rainy, etc.

But aren’t these gorgeous?!

We started each morning at the playground!

And with a little walk.

And even some pool time. It was so cold that the pool felt warm.

And they loved it as the only ones there!!

I think I’m most excited for these pics that showcase Jordan’s personality.

First ice cream stop!

This hot fudge sundae was crazy.

He was soooo excited about his cotton candy ice cream.

And this is how fun he is.

And this!

And this!

And the next day – this too.

Still so windy but not quite as cold. It was 70!

Perfect for boogie boarding.

I sent this to Eddie and he said how lovely the blue skies and water were… ha.

Made more sandcastles that we could count.

By late afternoon, it cleared up a little!

But we went out to look for crabs and all the fog rolled back in.

A little warmer. Still foggy and hazy and cool.

They didn’t care and thought it was the best ever.

Sand cake.

The waves were good this day.

And we got margaritas on the beach!

Bestest friends at the beach.

Finally sunny!

The day got clear and warmer too.

Dinner.

More Jordy.

Emilia would stay in the ocean for hours. I had a very hard time keeping up with her face getting sun because she kept wiping her eyes and wiping it off.

He strikes again.

Another crab walk at night!

And finally a super clear morning!

Best boy.

This day was so fun. We spent… maybe 10 hours on the beach?!

Um, hello. I want to write a book about this. Brilliant.

The kids LIVED in the waves.

How fun?!

Eddie didn’t come with us initially because of work, so he came and surprised the kids a few days later!

I can’t talk enough about the neon pink, green and yellow in the ocean, on the beach and in the pool. So easy to spot the kids ANYWHERE.

Tada!

Gorgeous last two days, we got lucky.

Saying goodbye to BFFs!

Had a little shopping day.

True life: my grandpa had a mug on the ceiling in the Ugly Mug.

My brothers always had to get gummy candy when we were in Cape May… so that’s what we did!

Max was SO excited that they had the dubai chocolate. He said he had “wanted to try it forever.” (I died laughing). He loved it. I think the quality of the chocolate could have been better.

Gummy sharks!

Lobster roll time.

We all love a connecticut roll.

And love Cape May!

Next thing I knew, Eddie and Jordan walked out carrying a large rubber ducky.

And we got to see our cousins too!! They just got there, we were just leaving.

Pina Colada that tasted like nothing.

And then we came home! We were all very happy to get home.

I made a delish marinated pasta for dinner.

With some grilled salmon and chimichurri!

It was all so fresh and good.

And it’s truly summer: first grilled corn of the season!

The post A Week In The Life, Vol 25. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

What To Eat This Week: 6/22/25.

Such a great menu for the first week of summer!

What’s on your menu this week?!

What To Eat This Week

Grilled romaine salads

Grilled chicken rice bowls

Burst tomato burrata pasta

Pesto prosciutto peach pizza

Summer risotto stuffed peppers

Grilled BBQ chicken guacamole sandwiches

Summer chicken salad

Pistachio brown butter granola

The post What To Eat This Week: 6/22/25. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

Happy weekend!

This week on the blog, I shared these amazing grilled BBQ chicken guacamole sandwiches. I also shared this summer marinated goat cheese! And a new summer fridays post is live.

And I also shared my favorite summer essentials now that I have kids.

I shared all my outdoor entertaining favorites! And! There’s a list of my favorite summer beauty and kids’ summer faves!

There’s a new menu for the week and a new peek inside our everyday life.

You can find all my favorites in my amazon store front and LTK shop!

Thank you for continuing to make the launch Easy Everyday absolutely amazing . If you haven’t got your book yet, you can order here! There is a big giveaway happening on instagram and another happening in our facebook cookbook club!

xo

WHAT I’M LOVING THIS WEEK

I want this artichoke arugula dip.

Cannoli cake! OMG.

This mexican fruit salad sounds incredible.

Deviled strawberries! Obsessed with this.

The best olive dip. Yum.

Blueberry muffin cookies. Delish.

I love a strawberry pie!

Strawberry icebox cake too.

It’s limoncello margarita time.

Grilled tomato salsa sounds so so good.

So does lemon blueberry bundt cake.

Blueberry gin fizz! It’s the season.

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Summer Fridays, Vol 4.

Happy summer friday! Here’s what’s happening this weekend.

EATING

My 15 minute watermelon greek salad. And hot chicken salad! Also this grilled chicken cherry kale salad.

DRINKING

Fresh mint iced coffee!! And tequila grapefruit soda.

MAKING

My double chocolate zucchini muffins. Yes, yum.

BAKING

My peach cobbler granola. I crave this! I made my sour cream banana bread right before vacation too.

GRILLING

My chili lime chicken tacos! Also these garlic butter breadsticks. They are so easy and absolutely amazing.

SNACKING

Oh my hot honey chili crunch dip. It’s so good with pretzel crisps.

CRAVING

My strawberry shortcake trifle! Oh my gosh, what a dream.

READING

I have Sounds Like Love queued up and ready to go. Here is my big summer reading list!

LISTENING

To the perfect beach vibes playlist!

WEARING

This calia hi-waist sarong skirt is SO stretchy and comfortable. And just really easy on the beach! I’ve also been living in my 9seed tulum dress cover ups that I’ve had for years. I have tie dye ones, neon ones – I love them and they are excellent quality.

BUYING

These kids’ goggles right before we left for vacation, thank goodness. They are like a flat suction to the face and so great at keeping water out!

SHOPPING

For these things in my sephora cart: the fenty body lava, the ultra violette lip sunscreen, the YSL candy glow lavender lip balm and the one/size glass setting spray.

LOVING

This stainless steel snacklebox! Excellent option if you don’t want the all plastic one. Back to plastic though: the USA one is pretty adorable.

SHARING

My substack – Curated Cravings! If you love these summer fridays posts, my substack is full of things like this. Much more personal and fun. There are free and paid versions! It would mean so much to me if you’d subscribe.

WORKING

If you’re local to Pittsburgh, next Thursday I’m doing a super fun event at third space bakery!

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